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The Sundered Guard
= Role Play Introduction = While wandering through the woods of Agon, you come upon a tree adorned with pairs of long black and green ribbons delicately tied around its trunk and dangling from its low hanging branches. A flicker of movement to your side draws your attention to another set of ribbons hanging from a tree in the distance, and as you peer deeper into the forest, you can just make out a line of trees all bearing the same marks flittering gently in the wind. Looking closer at the tree in front of you, you notice a tablet of petrified bark bearing a scratched inscription. The tablet is propped against an exposed root tied with two ribbons: one white, the other black. Squatting down to look at the scratchings, you can see it is a message written in common: Beware, wanderer. You enter sacred lands, protected by clan of The Sundered Guard. Trespassers carrying the stench of evil or undeath will have no further warning before falling prey to Hunt. Trespassers without stench should tread lightly and swiftly through, should not make camp, should not make harvest, and should pray to not meet Hunt. If seeking parlay with Sundered, tie white ribbon to branch and do not stray. An emissary will soon approach. If seeking home with Sundered, take black ribbon with you and enter these woods. Another sudden flash of motion from the corner of your eye draws your gaze, and for a moment you can’t help shake the feeling of being watched. As you look around, however, you see nothing but the black and green ribbons still waving in the breeze. = Clan Charter = By fang and claw, shield and blade, Our lands protected, our truce is made In answer to our Mother's call Her dreams foretelling of Agon's fall The darkness grows, vast evils wait To run them down, our union's fate Their weak will plead, Their best will bleed, We'll hunt them down 'til the last have flee’d For this we swear on the Mother's light We will not fall without a fight Nature's Sword, the People's Shield Never surrender, never yield ::: - "tegra snara twan" - Battle verse of The Sundered Guard The Sundered Guard of Agon - or in the feral tongue, "Da Rakeh Nkosh" - is a brotherhood of the wild: A union of two groups once separated by strife, now brought together by the shared loss of their homeland and the burning desire to reclaim it. An unlikely and sometimes tense mix of mahirim, mirdain, humans and dwarves, the people of the Guard are bound by their common mission, common lands, and the deep respect for nature they share. Brief History The Sundered Guard of Agon was formed four winters ago, when the mahirim of the Sundered Claw tribe joined with the mirdain, humans and dwarves of the Heartland Guard, as both groups fled from the conquering of their homelands by the Pall of Synochus. The Shadow's taking of their homelands, and the resulting merger of the clans, had been foretold the year before by both the shamans of the Claw and the priests of the Guard, and it is only through the power of their prophetic visions and the horror of the Pall that the two groups now act as one. Goals * Reclaim the territories of our lost homeland * Defend our territories to the death against all invaders * Eliminate the Watcher, his undead armies, and any other force posing a threat to Agon's heartlands * Establish our free-trade sanctuary city Aldalonde - or "tree-haven" - within our territories * Indulge in the Mother's creations and enjoy all that her world has to offer Ranks Yeoman "Neth Kamensh" - Petitioner * Partnered with a mentor until deemed ready for acceptance into the brotherhood * Individual mentoring periods vary Pathfinder "Neth Ther" - Full Member * Privileged to participate in clan votes * Access to full member areas of the website and vent room Tracker "Neth Ther" - Veteran Member * Distinguished member with extended privileges Seeker "Neth Kaghin" - Officer * Selected by a Protector to serve as their lieutenant * Aids the Protector in accomplishing their division's tasks * Does not sit on the Council Protector "Neth Kaghin" - Council Member The Sundered Guard is ruled by a council of three Protectors and one Guardian: Protector of the Hunt "Kaghin Snara" - PvP Leader * Acts as supreme battle commander * Responsible for the guild's military organization and fitness * Organizes regular PvP practices * Claims one (1) vote on the Inner Council Protector of the Hearth "Kaghin Mrth" - Craft and City Maintenance Leader * Manages the guild's craft industry * Oversees construction and maintenance of the guild city * Claims one (1) vote on the Inner Council Protector of the Harvest "Kaghin Nrandrie" - PvE Leader * Organizes parties for questing, harvesting, and exploring * Gathers information and resources for achieving success in adventuring (e.g. dungeon maps) * Ensures no member is left behind on the course of their adventure * Claims one (1) vote on the Inner Council Guardian "Neth Sha" - Guild Leader * Sets the course and pace of the guild to ensure pursuit of the goals * Oversees and initiates activity within the Inner Council * Personally welcomes all new members to the guild and is responsible for ensuring they are properly mentored * Head of diplomatic relations * Claims two (2) votes on the Inner Council Roles Specialty roles are positions held independently from a member's rank by volunteers within the guild. Speakers "Neth Ghrelah" - RP Event Planner For each of the four founding races of The Sundered Guard - Mahirim, Mirdain, Dwarf and Human - a speaker is chosen to act as the collective voice for their race and to represent and protect the culture of their people. It is the duty of the Speakers to create and foster role play events within the guild by taking advantage of the factional tensions that exist across the races to drive the Guard's narrative in intriguing directions. Speakers are chosen through a vote cast by the Guard members of their bloodline (race), following a competition that exemplifies a particular aspect of their race's heritage. Speaker competitions are initiated as soon as an incumbent is challenged by another member of their race for their position. Competitions vary between the races - for the Mahirim the contest may be a fight to the death, for the Dwarves a drinking contest, and so on. Regardless of who wins the competition, the winner of the Seeker role is decided by a member vote for who they feel best represented their heritage. A new Speaker may not be challenged for one week following their induction to the role. Mentors "Neth Srendah" - Yeoman Guide Mentors serve two key functions in the development of a cohesive identity among our members. The first is to provide our petitioners with a variety of opportunities that allow them to become immediately involved in the guild’s activities, while at the same time learning the lay of the Guard’s structure and ways. The second is to help our new recruits feel more welcome and familiar within our kindredship, establishing a smooth and ready path towards immersion in our brotherhood’s community. Through the mentor program, a Yeoman is paired with a dedicated and supportive member of our community to serve as their guide through Aldalonde during their first weeks as a petitioner within the Guard. Once a mentor feels that their Yeoman has obtained a lucid grasp of The Sundered Guard’s identity, and given that the person seems a good fit for our brotherhood, he/she will then recommend the petitioner for promotion to the rank of Pathfinder. Skill Advisers "Kraguk Kna" Members who have gained great proficiency within a particular skill line may be appointed by the Guardian to the role of Skill Adviser. These kindred are responsible for providing information, tips and tricks of their trade to members in need of assistance. They are also tasked with the development of skill plans for specialty templates. = Rules of Engagement = The Sundered Guard considers itself a force of peace and balance in an otherwise war-torn and unstable world. As such, we take our rules of engagement seriously, and actively maintain our ever-growing list of enemies. We operate under a NRDS (Not Red (hostile), Don't Shoot) philosophy, as opposed to one of NBSI (Not Blue (friendly), Shoot It), as we do not presume that each encounter with another player will be a hostile one. However, anyone committing one of the following crimes in the eyes of a Guardsman will be subject to our wrath, and may find themselves a persistent target of our Hunt. Crimes Against the Guard Committing any of the following crimes will deem you worthy of death in the eyes of The Sundered Guard. Repeated offenders will earn a position on either our Hostile or Enemy list, depending on the severity of their crimes: * Assisting the Watcher's deathless armies - ((i.e., participating in quests which benefit the forces of undeath)) * Practicing dark necromancy - ((i.e., conjuring the undead)) * Displaying aggression against a kin of The Sundered Guard or an allied guild * Hunting without permission within the lands of The Sundered Guard * Defiling the Mother and her creations - ((i.e., excessive farming of an area to the point where respawn is no longer possible)) * Serving a force that seeks to dominate the whole of Agon - ((i.e., being a member in a large, unbalanced alliance with plans of aggressive expansion; zerg guilds)) * Speaking like a fool - ((i.e. trash-talking)) * Subverting the laws of nature - ((i.e., hacking, cheating, or otherwise exploiting in game)) Factions Ally "Khenah" - The Sundered Guard takes its alliances seriously. Although we may be quick to befriend, we will not rush into making frivolous pacts with other guilds or swearing to promises that we are not certain both parties will be able to keep. To those guilds that have earned a place on our ally list, we will lay down our lives without hesitation in defense of their causes, we will take down their enemies as our own, and we will honor their kin as we would a fellow Guardsman. Friend "Therah" - Good friends are an invaluable resource in the cut-throat lands of Agon, and as such, The Sundered Guard is always open to forging new friendships. We will never attack friendly guilds, even if witnessing conduct we that do not agree with, and we will never interfere or intentionally undermine their efforts. However, we are not bound to fight any of our friends battles, and should we choose to do so, it will only be at our discretion. Hostile "Kesheh" - While The Sundered Guard is not officially at war with hostiles, such guilds have earned our ire and will be attacked on sight. Although a hostile guild is to be regarded as an honorable opponent deserving of a fair fight, mercy will still only be given at our hunters' discretion. Enemy "Numkeh" - These guilds represent the scum of the world. Such clans will be hunted to extinction, with no quarter given. Wary "Numerah" - Any guild that has not yet found a place on our guild faction list will be regarded as Wary by default. The Sundered Guard will not raise arms against a wary unless an offense against the Guard is witnessed (see above). Current Faction Standings Allies To be listed here... Friends To be listed here... Hostiles To be listed here... Enemies To be listed here... = History = The Sundered Guard of Agon was formed four winters ago, when the mahirim of the Sundered Claw tribe joined with the mirdain, humans and dwarves of the Heartland Guard, as both groups fled from the conquering of their homelands by the Pall of Synochus. The Shadow's taking of their homelands, and the resulting merger of the clans, had been foretold the year before by both the shamans of the Claw and the priests of the Guard, and it is only through the power of these prophetic visions and the horror of the Pall that the two groups now act as one. ((In-Character History, dates and facts not to be confused with real-life history of this Chapter)) Timeline of Important Events Based on the timeline of Agon and other lore found on Darkfall’s official website. '' *'-480:' Fresh from uniting the continent of Rubaiyat under their rule, the mighty Akkadian Empire arrives on mainland Agon and conquers the human society of Imric and the lands of present day Mercia. *'-470:' A small faction of mirdain are exiled from Mirdendil Forest, after frustrating several elflords with their persistent lobbying for the Grand Parliament to consider a multinational response to the Akkadian threat before it grows too large. Year of the Great Alliance *'-450:' Facing the predicted increase in threat from the Akkadian Empire, the mirdain Grand Parliament finally revisits their decision to join forces with the other nations. Soon after, the Great Alliance is born between mirdain, mahirim, dwarves, northmen, ithwen, and imric refugees. Within a year, the invading Akkadian army is decimated by the superior Alliance forces. *'-448:' Clan Gray Claw, one of the few mahirim tribes to cooperate in the campaign, returns to their nomadic life in the Tribelands, satisfied with their bloody participation in the Alliance’s swift victories. The group of mirdain originally exiled for encouraging the forming of the Alliance is welcomed back to the Forest Republic. Most accept citizenship again, but remain living at the fringes of Republic life in settlements on the northeastern outskirts of Mirendil Forest, adjacent to the Heartlands of Agon. *'-400:' The mahirim prophet-king Amurran conquers the central region of the Tribelands and establishes a fortress at the sacred site of the Moontower. Clan Gray Claw is angered by this blasphemy against Theia and the subsequent expansion of the city Red Moon. The clan attempts a series of unsuccessful attacks against Amurran and his forces, but is repelled and forced to migrate out of the central Tribelands. Clan Gray Claw moves to the Tribelands’ southeastern outskirts, bordering Agon’s central Heartlands, and continues their nomadic and predatorial existence there. *'-150:' The growing trend of civilization and permanent settlement within the mahirim tribes, following the example set by Red Moon, disturbs many in Clan Gray Claw. New factions begin to develop within the clan over the differing opinions on what should be done about the distressing situation. Tensions continue to rise over the next few decades, with the strongest growls coming from those starting to entertain notions of demolishing civilization in its entirety. Creation of clan Sundered Clan *'-100:' Dissatisfied with the current civilizing trend and disenchanted with the worship of the traditional moon-gods Theia and Neith, a growing number of mahirim turn to the worship of the primeval demon, the Moonbeast, and establish a cult in his name. Many in Clan Gray Claw embrace this new cult, disgusting their former packmates with the depraved mutations inflicted upon them by the cult’s ritual practices. With most of the once great tribe of Gray Claw now under the spell of the Moonbeast, the two remaining factions of the clan split off into their own groups. One joins with the Long Claw hunter-traditionalists, while the other chooses to remain an independent tribe, adopting the name the Sundered Claw. Moving deeper into the Heartlands of Agon, the Sundered Claw struggles over the next few decades to carve out their own territory. Mirdain youths exiled from Forest Republic *'-52:' Distraught by the death of the mirdain heroine Ilynna, the youthful descendents of the formerly-exiled supporters of the Great Alliance are spurred into a flurry of rebellious action. Frustrated with the mirdain Grand Parliament’s lethargic pace and reluctance to embrace joint military effort against the enemies of the Forest Republic, the unruly elven youths mount an independent attack against the Forest Prophets in direct defiance of an elflord’s commands. Though their attack is successful, it leaves the elflord both humiliated and enraged. He subsequently banishes the group of mirdain youths from Mirendil Forest, and they return to the homeland of their childhood at the border between the Forest and the Heartlands. Mercian Sun outpost erected *'-51:' A human-owned trading company known as the Mercian Sun Merchants begins construction of an outpost in the Heartlands, on a trading route between Charybdis, Ymir’s Tear, and Sanguine. Several families, including those of several dwarves under the company’s employ, move into the outpost under the protection of the company’s militia. The operation is observed with curiosity by the recently exiled mirdain, but they do not interfere. *'-50:' The Sundered Claw encounters the Mercian Sun outpost in their migrating. Considering it an affront to their land, the tribe mounts a series of raids against the outpost, but all are repelled by the merchant company’s forces. The clan moves on at the end of the season but returns yearly to stage raids on the caravan routes leading to and from the outpost. *'-45:' The mysterious plague arrives, sweeping across all of Agon and decimating communities in every nation but the alfar’s. The Sundered Claw is forced to abandon their plans for a final strike against the Mercian Sun outpost, which is also hit hard by the epidemic, and brought to the brink of death. *'-44:' Blessed with apparent immunity to the plague, alfar raids in the area increase in frequency and ferocity, as the vile beings seize the opportunity to wreck further havoc while many lay already dead or dying. Having no fortified settlement of their own and taking pity on the threatened families of the outpost, the exiled mirdain approach the human community, offering their assistance against the alfar in exchange for shelter. The outpost families eagerly welcome the mirdain’s help, and together the two groups weather the raids and disease. Creation of the Heartland Guard *'-36:' Having lost much coin between the plague and incessant raids, the Mercian Sun Merchant Company abandons their outpost in the Heartlands. While many of its residents return to the Empire, some mercians and dwarves choose instead to take up an offer by the mirdain to stay and build a new independent settlement. This community takes up the name “The Heartland Guard” and adopts the cause of protecting the fertile lands that they have come to know as their home. In the decades that follow, the people of the Heartland Guard succeed in establishing a secure, self-sustaining village amidst the woods near to the abandoned outpost, all signs of it now erased from the land by the Sundered Claw. The two groups continue to exchange blows throughout the years, with neither succeeding in causing much harm to the other. A tenuous respect grows between the warriors of the two communities, and eventually the Sundered Claw turns their focus toward obstructing the efforts of the swelling Moonbeast cult, while the Heartland Guard begins efforts to establish security on the trade route that lies near to their settlement. With the mirdain’s appreciation of the forest rubbing off on their neighbors, the Heartland Guard takes on the elves’ name, “Aldalonde”, or tree-haven, for their village and surrounding woods. *'-5:' A series of powerful visions is simultaneously visited upon several mirdain priests of The Heartland Guard and mahirim shamans of The Sundered Claw. Though the details in each dream differ, they all come to the same terrible end: a sickly shadow, emanating from a black spire so as to cover and consume the Heartlands, suffocating all life and forever perverting the earth. Also present in each dream is a brief vision of Aldalonde, bathed in silver moonlight cast by Theia in the sky above. The sound of howling wolves follows, driving the shadow back from the village and forest. The interpretation of these visions becomes a deeply debated subject within both communities. Tired of the bickering among her tribe and believing that she knows the true meaning of the visions, a popular elder of the Sundered Claw travels to Aldalonde alone, and is surprised to discover they have also witnessed the visions. Inspired, the Sundered Claw elder and leadership of the Heartland Guard arrive at the unavoidable conclusion for the meaning of the shared visions: the two groups must band together to face the coming darkness. An even fiercer debate rages in the two communities at the announcement of the idea, and though the horror of the visions is profound, neither group finds themselves able to accept the proposal of joining with the other. The dim but still present memory of the Great Alliance between mirdain, human, dwarf and mahirim is frequently invoked, winning some over to the idea; but in the end, the charisma of the leaders is not enough to overcome the more vivid memories of strife between the two peoples. Formation of The Sundered Guard *'-4:' The nightmarish visions are eerily realized as the black tower of the Deathless Mage rises and the Pall of Synochus spreads across much of the Heartland. It is not long before Aldalonde and much of the Sundered Claw’s territory is swallowed by the shadow, and the two retreating peoples are forced into forging a contentious union, renaming themselves The Sundered Guard. Since the loss of our shared homelands, we have struggled and strived as one to drive back the Pall and purify the Heartlands from the taint of the Watcher and his Deathless army. ::: ''-- A History of the Sundered Guard, as compiled and recorded by the pens of Voronwe Eldalom, mirdain historian and Ashka, mahirim matriarch Category:Cl-Servername Category:Roleplay Clans Category:Cult